(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a granular body discharge container capable of holding in a line tablets, such as oral (peroral) contraceptives, ignition stones for lighters, or sweets, such as candies and lemon pop cakes, and a granular body storage tube capable of being housed in a granular body holding portion of such a granular body discharge container. Further, the present invention provides a granular body assembly, for example a tablet assembly which can be inserted in a predetermined order in such a granular body storage tube so that granular bodies of the assembly can be discharged one by one.
(2) State of the Prior Art
An example of the above-described type of granular body discharge container, capable of holding granular bodies in a line therein and discharging the same one by one therefrom, is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 60-24799/1985 (Unexamined). This example is a reagent disc storage container holding reagent discs in a laminated or alignment state and is provided with an extrusion plate so that these discs can be extruded one by one from a side of the container.
Another example of a granular body storage tube adapted to store therein granular bodies in a predetermined order is a storage tube which has a film capable of being easily torn, such as, aluminum foil pasted on one surface thereof. This storage tube holds therein capsulated tablets adapted to be taken out by breaking the film. This type of a storage tube, which holds peroral contraceptives, is commercially available in Australia. According to the instruction manual for this product, 28 tablets are inserted in a generally rectangular storage tube, so that the tablets are arranged in a circle substantially along the circumferential portion thereof, and days of the week, such as Monday, Tuesday, Wenesday etc., for four weeks are displayed on a position on the outer surface of the storage tube where the tablets are held. A tablet held in a position corresponding to a mark of, for example, "MON" or "Monday" can be used on Monday in accordance with the instructions for use of the tablets.
When efficiency in the use of such granular bodies, i.e. the discharge of such granular bodies, is taken into consideration, it is found that the container for simply discharging granular boides as disclosed in the Japanese publication is more conveniently used than the container of the type having a film as described above, because the granular bodies arranged in the container are taken out more easily than granular bodies adapted to be taken out by breaking a film.
However, if the granular bodies held in a line in a storage tube like those disclosed in the above-mentioned Japanese publication are adapted to be taken out by extruding them sideways with respect to the longitudinal arrangement of the granular bodies, the direction of extrusion of the granular bodies is different from the direction of the longitudinal arrangement of the granular bodies. Consequently, a container for such granular bodies is formed generally in the shape of, for example, the letter "L" or "T" as a necessity. If an additional structure is provided on this container, the general shape of the container can be changed as desired, of course, but such a container is basically bulky and becomes very inconvenient for being carried in user's pocket or handbag.
The use of these granular bodies held directly in a granular body discharge container without using a cartridge or the like is disadvantageous in that they are necessarily stored in such a container even when they have not yet been used, and in that it is troublesome to refill granular bodies one by one as they are consumed.
In order to discharge the granular bodies sequentially, a resilient member such as a spring is used to urge them toward a discharge port. However, if so many granular bodies are held in the container, a longer resilient member is necessary, and the resilient member must be compressed greatly when the granular bodies are inserted into the container. This causes the assembling of the container to become troublesome.
In the case where the order of use of the granular bodies like the above-mentioned oral conceptives is predetermined, it is necessary that a granular body to be actually used can be identified.
Also, in the case where the order of use of the granular bodies is predetermined, the order of use becomes unknown if more than desired number of granular bodies should have been taken out.